Scandals the order of the day during CEO departures in April, report says

Twelve Texas CEOs, including three in Austin, left their jobs during April, according to a national report that tracks CEO movement and Austin Business Journal research. But the big news was that six CEOs across the country, including one in Central Texas, left their jobs due to personal or corporate scandals.

The highest-profile CEO departure in April was Mozilla Corp. CEO Brendan Eich, who said he would step down from his position after it became public that he had contributed money to a group opposing marriage equality in California.

Meanwhile, top leaders at Certus Bank in Greenville, South Carolina, left their positions after an investigation found they spent lavishly on perks for themselves as the bank lost millions in revenue, and an Austin CEO left his job after facing legal troubles, according to a CEO-tracking report by Chicago-based Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

“A decade ago, the sociopolitical beliefs of a CEO like Mozilla’s Eich, likely would have gone unnoticed, much less become the target of consumer boycotts. However, in an age when conversations and actions can be recorded and indelibly posted on the Internet, companies have little choice but to respond," said John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Mozilla's Eich was one of 16 computer-industry CEOs nationwide to leave his or her post in April. The sector saw the second highest CEO turnover during the month, behind health care, where 19 CEO departures were announced. To date, U.S.-based companies have announced 460 CEO changes in 2014, 14.1 percent more than the 403 CEO exits tracked in the first four months of 2013.